Prison governor guilty of relationship with inmate

Kerri Pegg accepted a Mercedes C-class car as a gift from the gang boss

A prison governor who began a relationship with a drug-dealing gang boss locked up in the jail she ran has been found guilty of two counts of misconduct in public office.

Kerri Pegg, 42, was seen as a "rising star" of the Prison Service, climbing the career ladder from graduate to governor at HMP Kirkham in Lancashire in six years.

But her trial heard she "didn't play by the rules" and began a relationship with major Liverpool crime figure Anthony Saunderson, helping him secure day release.

A jury at Preston Crown Court returned their verdict at the end of a two-week trial.

The trial heard how, when police raided Pegg's home in Orrell, Wigan, they found a toothbrush with Saunderson's DNA on it.

It also emerged Pegg, who was also found guilty of one count of possession of criminal property, had been given a gift of a £12,000 Mercedes C-class car by Saunderson, which was paid for from the proceeds of 34 kilos of amphetamines.

Kerri Pegg, 42, was seen as a "rising star" of the Prison Service

Saunderson had used the name Jesse Pinkman, a meth dealer in the hit TV show Breaking Bad, during his communications with other criminals, the trial heard.

He also went under the name James Gandolfini, the actor who played Tony Soprano in the mafia TV series.

Jurors heard Pegg was known to spend a lot of time in her office with the inmate and, in October 2018, he put in a request to be released on temporary licence.

Though such requests are routine there are specific rules for how they should be dealt with - rules which the governor broke.

She did not have authority to approve the release, but intervened and approved the application without notifying the official who should have dealt with it, it was found.

Pegg stood with her head bowed and showed no reaction as the foreman of the jury delivered the verdicts.

Judge Graham Knowles KC told her she can expect a custodial sentence, adding: "I have no choice but to send you to prison due to the gravity of your offending."

Saunderson had used the name Jesse Pinkman, a meth dealer in the hit TV show Breaking Bad

The trial heard Saunderson had developed and delivered a programme, titled BADD (Beating Alcohol and Drug Dependency) for inmates at several jails - while at the time being a major drug dealer, running an amphetamines factory.

Pegg claimed her contact with Saunderson was due to his involvement in the BADD programme.

But even members of his gang grumbled that their boss was spending too much time with Pegg and away from his wife and "work".

Giving evidence in her own defence, tearful Pegg claimed she had been "hands on" and "stupid" in her interactions with Saunderson, but insisted she had done nothing wrong.

Her defence barrister said she had been "naive".

Police found at Pegg's house a pair of Hugo Boss flip flops with Saunderson's DNA on them

But the prosecution showed how she had spent more and more time with the drugs boss as he came towards the end of his 10-year sentence.

Jurors were shown the Size 10 Hugo Boss flip-flops that had been found in her Wigan apartment, as well as a toothbrush.

Detectives found Pegg was living way beyond her means, buying designer jewellery and clothes including Jimmy Choo shoes and Chanel necklaces.

They found that despite her £3,000 a month income, she was deeply in debt and had not declared three County Court judgments which amounted to misconduct, as debts make officials vulnerable to corruption.

Her four credit cards were "maxed out" and she had 6p in her savings account, the court heard.

Barbara-Louise Webster, prosecuting, said Pegg had a promising future, but added: "Anthony Saunderson was her downfall."

Outside court, Tarryn McCaffrey, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Kerri Pegg's conduct fell far short of what might be expected from any professional within the Prison Service, let alone one of such a senior grade as prison governor.

"She was clearly involved in an inappropriate relationship with Saunderson after he was released and the evidence points to this going back further, to a time when he was in jail.

"This relationship, and the fact that Pegg failed to disclose her debts to her employers, amount to a gross breach of trust and are therefore extremely damaging to public confidence."

A date for her sentencing is yet to be announced.